Improvement in washing-machines



0. A. DODGE. I Washing Machine.

No. 201,169. Patented March 12,1878.

WITN ESS'ES fdd main PHOTO-THUG rum-1E1. wnsnmarou o c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CYRUS A. DODGE, OF MIDD L'EBURY, VERMONT.

IMPROVEMENT IN WASHING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 201,169, dated March 12, 1878; application filed January 17, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OYRUs A. DODGE, of Middlebury, in the county'of Addison and State of Vermont, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Washing-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it,'reference being had to the accompanying drawings,which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in pounder washing-machines, the object being to provide a machine of such construction that a vertically-adjustable pounder-shaft may be freely moved toward or from the free end of the actuating-lever, and the shaft allowed a rocking movement, so that the pounder-shaft may be retained in a vertical position regardless of the position or inclination of the actuating-lever and to that end my invention consists, first, of a pounder washing -machine having the combination with an actuatinglever adapted to have both lateral and vertical movement imparted thereto, of a verticallyadjustable pounder shaft, adapted and arranged to be freely moved to or from the free end of said actuating-lever.

My invention further consists of the several details of construction and combinations of parts, as will more fully appear from the accompanying description and claims.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a side elevation of my improved pounder washing-machine, showing the pounder in the center of the tub; and Fig. 2 shows the actuating-lever in a raised position and the pounder placed at one side of the tub. Fig. 3 represents an edge view of the pounder-shaft.

A represents an inverted-U-shaped clamp, provided with a set-screw, a, for the removable attachment of the clamp to the upper edge of an ordinary tub, B. An arm, I), is secured to or formed solid with the upper portion of clamp A, and to the outer end of said arm is pivoted a stud, G, which is adapted to turn freely within its bearings in said arm.

D represents an actuating-lever having one end pivoted to the upper end of stud 0. As the actuating-lever D is pivoted to a rotary stud, it will be readily understood that said lever may be freely moved either in a vertical or lateral direction.

E is a sleeve, placed on the actuating-lever D, and adapted to be'freely-moved to or from the free end of the same. Sleeve or tube E is provided with a depending plate, 0, which may be secured to said sleeve, or maybe formed solid therewith. Plate (2 is provided with any desired number of holes, d, for a purpose hereinafter described.

F represents the pounder-shaft, having any suitable pounder, G, secured to its lower end, while its middle portion is slotted to receive the sleeve E. The sides 6 of the pounder-shaft are provided with any desired number of holes, f, and by means of a detachablepin, H, extending through one of the holes at in the sleeve-platec, and through the pounder-shaft, the latter may be pivoted to the sleeve at any desired height. By securing the pin H in the lower hole cl of the sleeve plate, the pivotal connection of the pounder-shaft and actuating-lever is located near the pounder, and thus operates to lessen the angular inclination of the pounder relative to the bottom of the tub when the parts are being operated. To the sleeve E is secured one end of a rod, I, the opposite or free end of which is provided with a handle, K, whereby the operator may grasp the actuating-lever and handle K with one hand, and, by sliding the hand to and from the free or outer end of the lever as the machine is being operated, the pounder can be moved to any desired portion of the tub. The sleeve-plate 0 may be provided with holes h, located near the ends of the sleeve, for the attachment of the pounder. The sleeve to which is pivoted the pounder-shaft, owing to its length of bearing on the actuating-lever, will always move freely on the latter, and carry the pounder to any part of the tub.

The pounder has a free rocking movement relative to the actuating-lever, and thus may be retained in a vertical position regardless of the position of said lever.

Again, any desired vertical adjustment of the pounder-shaft is readily secured by means of the detachable pin, on which is pivoted said shaft.

I am aware that pounder washing-machines have been provided with actuating-levers carryingvertieally-adjustablepounders, saidlever constructed and arranged in such a manner that the actuating-lever may be moved vertically, laterally, and longitudinally, and thereby allow the pounder to be placed in any part of the tub, such construction being shown in the patent to L. Caldwell, September 24, 1872, No. 131,659; and hence I make no broad claim to such construction.

1 am also aware that it is not new to provide a washing-machine with an actuating lever adapted to be moved both laterally and vertically, and a vertically non-adjustable but sliding pounder shaft combined with said lever, whereby the pounder may be carried to any portion of the tub; and hence I make no claim to such construction.

It is evident that many slight changes in construction and arrangement of parts may be devised Without departing from the spirit ofiny invention, and hence I do not limit myself to the exact construction shown and described; but,

Having fully described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a pounder Washing-machine, the combination, with an actuating-lever, of a vertically-adjustable pounder-shaft, the same constructed and arranged to be moved to and from the free end of said aetuatinglever, sub stantially as set forth.

2. In a pounder washinganachine, the combination, with an actuating lever provided with a sliding sleeve, of a pounder-shaft piv oted to said sleeve, substantially as set forth.

3. In a pounder washing-machine, the combination, with an actuating lever provided with a sliding sleeve, of a vertically-adjustable pounder-shaft pivoted to said sleeve, sub stantially as set forth.

4;. In a pounder washing-machine, the combination, with an actuatinglever provided with a sliding sleeve, of a slotted pounden shaft adapted to be pivoted in a verticallyadjustable manner to said sleeve, substantially as set forth.

5. In a pounder washing-machine, the combination, with an actuatinglever provided with a sliding sleeve and a vertically-adjustable pounder-shaft' pivoted to said sleeve, of a rod one end of which is secured to said sleeve, While the other end is provided with a handle, substantially as set forth.

6. In a ponnder washing-machine, the combination, with an actuatinglever provided with a sliding sleeve, the latter having a series of holes formed in a depending plate attached thereto, of a slotted pounder shaft adapted to be secured to said plate by means of a removable pin, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand.

CYRUS A. DODGE.

Witnesses:

H. A. SEYMOUR, THOMAS E. HALL. 

